The Aonb marathon

So Steve ran the 26 miles in very hot conditions and did amazingly.I took the kids to Lee Bay which is a gorgeous little coastal village. It is called the 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' marathon for a reason!

It was at this point that Steve said he was going to need the most encouragement as it is 18 miles in and is the worst point, with still 8 miles to go. Just after we arrived we saw an ambulance pull up telling us that a man had collapsed at the top of the hill. It was an anxious 5 minutes before we found out that the guy was American (and therefore not Steve)and then... there he was, coming down the hill! (You can hardly make him out here but he is a white dot to the left of the people!)

He had been suffering with cramps in his legs and groin for much of the way round, but a bit of lying down and resting had enabled him to carry on. He said this one made the london marathon feel like a walk in the park, due to the steep hills and valleys that made up most of the terrain. I couldn't believe he was laughing and joking after 18 miles as he sat with us in the shade for a couple of minutes.

At each refreshment station they had groups of people cheering them on with drinks, bananas, jelly babies and buckets of water and sponges to take with you and squeeze over your head.

There were 750 runners in all and the whole thing was really well organised.

The kids were great so i bought them an ice cream to get us to the next leg.

The finishing line was at Woolacombe. I thought i'd show the beach as an indication of just how hot it was that day.

Steve did this run, yes for his fitness and a good personal challenge, but also to raise money for our friend's charity working with street kids in South Africa www.umthombo.org Tom is an inspiration to us with the work he does there. Pickwell are supporters of Umthombo and so this wont be the last you hear about it!
Well done Steve! You did it! Apparently, he is now taking up sea swimming...